Trumbull Article

Edit 0 5 …
Trumbull, et al.pdf

Trumbull, E., Rothstein-Fisch, C., & Hernandez, E. (2003). Parent involvement in
schooling - according to whose values? The School Community Journal,
13(2), 45-72.

How Teachers Changed in Relation to Parents and Families
I. Increased Proximity to Families
A. Increased personal involvement with parents/families
  1. Physical and psychological
  2. The more teachers engaged, the more relationships changed
  3. Helped teachers take on the parents' perspectives
B. Increased informal interactions with parents/families at school
  1. "Minority" parents prefer a more personal realtionship with teachers
  2. May be more personal than we are used to, but it is still professional
  3. This is harmonious with the collectivist perspective
  4. Maximize contact by greeting parents or having informal coversations with them when they are picking up or dropping off their students
  5. Go into the community, do home visits, meet at a coffee shop
C. Increased ability to take parents' perspectives
  1. Helps teacher recognize what school's role is vs. home's role
  2. Monthly meetings help share information and gather parental input - not instruct
  3. Less judgmental, more empathetic

II. Designed New Classroom Practices
A. Altered schedules to accomodate parents/families
  1. Communicate with parents that lunch or plan time is open for parents to drop-in (no appt. needed)
  2. Be flexible with times for conferences - early and late times - as well as 20-45 minute slots
B. Introduced new forms of parent-teacher conferences
  1. Group conferences with private meeting times as needed
C. Tried new approaches to engaging parent volunteers
  1. Entice parents to volunteer on their terms
III. Explored New Roles
A. Became ethnographers
  1. "The art and science of describing a group or culture"
  2. Learn from families about their daily lives, histories, and goals for their children
  3. Listen non-judgmentally, without the expectation of giving expert advice
  4. Group ethnography - questions & post-its
B. Became more effective advocates for students and families
  1. We vs. You - makes a difference
  2. Parents prefer to voice concerns in a group to authority, rather than individually
C. Explained school culture to parents more explicitly
  1. Benefits parents to understand the dominant culture's schooling practices and how it may differ from their home culture
  2. Increase awareness for potential conflicts
D. Supported parents in taking on new roles
  1. Give parents activities that make sense and appeal to the value of helpfulness
  2. Get them involved on making materials they will use with their children